The Board of Education of Allegany County, in its effort to provide quality education for all students, seeks a full partnership with the parents and agencies in our county.

The Board recognizes that parents need a full understanding of the educational opportunities for their children and that schools need maximum involvement of parents in the school improvement process. Research has shown that parent involvement results in mutually supportive relationships between home and school that enhances the academic and social development of students.

Schools also need the support of other members of the community, including parent organizations, public libraries, businesses and faith-based organizations to promote effective education. Community groups will ve helped to recognize that investment in education is investment in the community. Further, community groups will be encouraged to help schools develop and implement innovative programs that promote educational goals and support high academic expectation for all students.

The Board:

• Welcomes parents and community members and makes their involvement an intragral part of the school improvement process.

• Affords parents, agencies and community members the opportunity for input into the decision/policy-making process.

• Encourages parents and community members to participate as part of a learning team for the children in our schools.

• Encourages parents to support their children's academic progress by attending meetings with school personnel, by participating in events sponsored by the school, and by participating in parent-teacher organizations in the school.

• Encourages teachers and administrators to communicate with parents about the programs in each school and the progress of each child in the school; respecting the diversity of parenting styles, family structures, special needs and individual circumstances, values, and cultures of the population in Allegany County.

• Promotes open and ongoing communication among home, school and the community.

• Encourages schools to offer training for parents that will help them create a home learning environment which will foster the social, emotional, and intellectual development of their children from birth.

• Encourages continued use of school volunteers in a variety of capacities.